The charm of the Cotswolds

by Annie Mills

This is an insider's guide to the Cotswolds, written by a native, and exploring some of England's most beautiful countryside, located in the heart of the country.

The Cotswolds have been described by Shakespeare as a tract of, 'high wild hills and rough uneven ways'. Four centuries on, the steep-sided, 50-mile long scarp of oolitic limestone which geologically defines the Cotswolds is still 'difficult' if attacked on foot, rising sheer from the flat vales surrounding it to a plateau of undulating hills (wolds) cut by precipitous wooded valleys. These surprisingly narrow cuts or cots have given their names to intimate, honey-stone villages tucked into the folds of the wolds - Idlicote, Condicote, Cutsdean and Hidcote - to name but a few.

The Cotswolds' fortune was made from wool and the proceeds of sheep-farming found their way into beautifully situated Norman churches and Gothic-gabled manor houses hugging the river valleys of the Windrush, Leach, Coln and Churn, each of which boast their own Tudor, Elizabethan and Jacobean gems.

One road in particular stands out - the Fosse Way - built in 50AD as a supply route for the Roman frontier. Straight as a die, up and down those 'difficult' hills it marches, all the way from Shakespeare's birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon to Cirencester, where the roads to London and Colchester converged.

Follow today that Roman Fosse and you'll find nearly all the highlights described below are only a minor detour from its course.

The manor The pub lunch The garden The church The kids The walk

The Manor house: Stanway House

Fodors calls Stanway House "as perfect and pretty a Cotswold manor house as anyone is likely to see". Begun in Elizabethan times and completed in the Jacobean period (1580-1630), it first surprises the visitor with its extraordinary folly of a gatehouse and then enchants with its 14th century Tithe Barn (where the wealthy Abbey of Tewkesbury stored the grain paid in rent by an impoverished peasantry) and its 18th century cascading water gardens.

An easy stroll from the Manor, along part of the ancient Cotswold Way, brings you to the delightful hamlet of Wood Stanway. Rather than attempting to hike up the adjacent Stanway Bank (a huffing and puffing affair), this writer suggests hiring a horse from Woodlands, the enthusiastically-run riding stables there, to experience the views from the summit -- on a clear day you can see to Wales. From here, the winding track down through the beech woods is a glorious sight in autumn.

See Nearby: Hailes Abbey

Stanway Manor - 01386 584469, open 2-5pm Tue + Thu in Jul and Aug
Visit the Woodlands Riding Stables website.

The Pub Lunch: Churchill Arms, Paxford

Opened on the same day as Tony Blair took office, in 1997, and patronised by New Labourites including Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger and Culture secretary Tessa Jowell, the Churchill Arms is that rare thing amongst gentrified country pubs: a local where locals still go, that attracts foodies in search of imaginative dishes using top, seasonal ingredients. The chef, Sonya Kidney, offers organically farmed fish, tasty steaks and excellent local lamb. High points are the thin, crispy, golden chips and a wonderfully gooey sticky toffee pudding. Locally brewed ales are also refreshing.

Top tip: Get there either on the dot of 12.45 pm or 7.30pm to avoid waiting for a table. No bookings taken.

See Nearby - Longborough Farm Shop

Visit the Churchill Arms website.